This study presents an historical account of the expansion of United States interests in Latin American communications in the first half of this cntury. Particular emphasis is placed on how United States shortwave broadcasting was used as a vehicle for the penetration and dominance of Latin American mass communication systems. This penetration is analyzed in relation to the overall context of the goals and activities of the Good Neighbor Policy of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Conversely, with the development of shortwave broadcasting as a tool of foreign policy, there arose the need to restructure the traditional relations between the broadcasting industry and government. This study describes the process by which the American broadcasting industry came to accept government control and dominance in the field of international broadcasting. Finally, this study attempts to show how such an historical account as this can be used to eluciate the notion of media imperialism.

This study presents an historical account of the expansion of United States interests in Latin American communications in the first half of this cntury. Particular emphasis is placed on how United States shortwave broadcasting was used as a vehicle for the penetration and dominance of Latin American mass communication systems. This penetration is analyzed in relation to the overall context of the goals and activities of the Good Neighbor Policy of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Conversely, with the development of shortwave broadcasting as a tool of foreign policy, there arose the need to restructure the traditional relations between the broadcasting industry and government. This study describes the process by which the American broadcasting industry came to accept government control and dominance in the field of international broadcasting. Finally, this study attempts to show how such an historical account as this can be used to eluciate the notion of media imperialism.

Best known to Americans as the “singing cowboy,” beloved entertainer Gene Autry (1907–1998) appeared in countless films, radio broadcasts, television shows, and other venues. While Autry’s name and a few of his hit songs are still widely known today, his commitment to political causes and public diplomacy deserves greater appreciation. In this innovative examination of Autry’s influence on public opinion, Michael Duchemin explores the various platforms this cowboy crooner used to support important causes, notably Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and foreign policy initiatives leading up to World War II. As a prolific performer of western folk songs and country-western music, Autry gained popularity in the 1930s by developing a persona that appealed to rural, small-town, and newly urban fans. It was during this same time, Duchemin explains, that Autry threw his support behind the thirty-second president of the United States. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources, Duchemin demonstrates how Autry popularized Roosevelt’s New Deal policies and made them more attractive to the American public. In turn, the president used the emerging motion picture industry as an instrument of public diplomacy to enhance his policy agendas, which Autry’s films, backed by Republic Pictures, unabashedly endorsed. As the United States inched toward entry into World War II, the president’s focus shifted toward foreign policy. Autry responded by promoting Americanism, war preparedness, and friendly relations with Latin America. As a result, Duchemin argues, “Sergeant Gene Autry” played a unique role in making FDR’s internationalist policies more palatable for American citizens reluctant to engage in another foreign war. New Deal Cowboy enhances our understanding of Gene Autry as a western folk hero who, during critical times of economic recovery and international crisis, readily assumed the role of public diplomat, skillfully using his talents to persuade a marginalized populace to embrace a nationalist agenda. By drawing connections between western popular culture and American political history, the book also offers valuable insight concerning the development of leisure and western tourism, the information industry, public diplomacy, and foreign policy in twentieth-century America.

In Brazil, the United States, and the Good Neighbor Policy: The Triumph of Persuasion during World War II, Alexandre Busko Valim studies the use of cinema in Brazil as an instrument of political persuasion by the United States during the period of the so-called Good Neighbor policy during World War II by examining extensive documentation found in the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. In doing so, Valim demonstrates the modus operandi of media imperialism: its mapping strategies and control of the market, its actions, and its objectives of domination. When thinking about the place of images as a means of convincing and imposing an ideological project, the author notes the methods necessary to examine this relationship between art and politics, a problem that is central in the contemporary world. Scholars of Latin American Studies, international relations, history, political science, and media studies will find this book particularly useful.

A milestone in the understanding of British history and imperialism, and truly global in its reach, this magisterial account received numerous accolades from reviewers in its first edition. The first to coin the phrase "gentlemanly capitalism", Cain and Hopkins make the strong and provocative argument that it is impossible to understand the nature and evolution of British imperialism without taking account of the peculiarities of her economic development. In particular, the growth of the financial sector - and above all, the City of London - played a crucial role in shaping the course of British history and Britain's relations overseas. Now with a substantive new introduction and a conclusion, the scope of the original account has been widened to include an innovative discussion of globalization.

Students will write more effective term papers with this guide to 500 term paper ideas—as well as a listing of appropriate print and nonprint sources— on twentieth-century U.S. history. This guide presents entries on 100 of the most important events and developments in twentieth-century U.S. history organized in chronological order. Each entry consists of a short description of the event, followed by five specific suggestions for term papers about the event, and a wide-ranging annotated bibliography of 15-35 books, articles, videos, and a web site appropriate for student research. In every case the emphasis is on recent and up-to-date material, as well as landmark works and primary sources. Every entry contains a video and concludes with a recommended web site, producing a multimedia approach designed to appeal to the current information-gathering habits and preferences of young people. From the Spanish-American War to the creation of NAFTA, the 100 events and developments cover political, social, economic, and cultural issues. The work has been designed to meet the needs of the U.S. history curriculum. Term paper topic ideas offer students thought-provoking suggestions that are challenging and develop critical thinking skills. The annotated bibliography is organized into reference sources, general sources, specialized sources, biographical sources, periodical articles, recommended videos and World Wide Web sites. All items are readily available in school, public, and academic library collections. This unique guide is valuable not only to students, but to teachers and librarians who guide students in research, and is an excellent purchasing guide for librarians who serve student needs.

It is a little-known fact that the first cultural agreement Canada signed was with Brazil in 1944. The two countries’ rapprochement launched a flurry of activity connecting Montreal to Rio de Janeiro amid the turbulence of war and its aftermath. Why Brazil? And what could songs and paintings achieve that traditional diplomacy could not? Distant Stage examines the neglected histories of Canada-Brazil relations and the role played by culture in Canada’s pursuit of an international identity. The efforts of French-Canadian artists, intellectuals, and diplomats are at the heart of both. Eric Fillion demonstrates how music and the visual arts gave state and non-state actors new connections to the idea of nation, which in turn informed their sense of place in the world. Tracing the origins of Canadian cultural diplomacy to South America, the book underscores the significance of race and religion in the country’s international history, showing how Brazil served as a distant stage where Canadian identity politics and aspirations could play out. Both a timely invitation to think about cultural diplomacy as a critical practice and a reflection on the interplay between internationalism and nationalism, Distant Stage draws attention to the ambiguous yet essential roles played by artists in international and intercultural relations.